The forgotten Speer Pea Pod

**BillyBob58** · 10-23-2018, 09:43

Originally Posted by psyculman

.................... It's in my will to be buried in it, but yes, my wife will probably sell it.

Ha! I guess that means you like it!

**Wesleypipesyo** · 11-18-2018, 22:25

To avoid starting a new thread I am going to ask my cocoon question here. I have the, apparently much hated, snugpak cocoon. Personally I do love it. It is heavy. And I did go hiking with it. Of course I am apparently anti-light weight. The last time I went out my pack was just under 45 pounds. *insert comments here* lol. <--- sarcasm. Yes it is heavy. But I am going to cut 10 pounds easily next time I go for a hike. But that's for another thread. Okay question time:

Anyone who has used one of these cocoons, have you tried running a ridge line on the inside of the pod to keep the thing off of your face when you sleep?

Next point.

I have never really experienced a "freezing bottom" when using a pea pod. In fact, I even throw the clothes that I shed in the bottom so when I wake up they are not freezing when I put them back on.

I think that's all for this one.

**Phantom Grappler** · 11-19-2018, 07:01

Wesleypipesyo, can you try ridgeline inside pod—and decide wether to keep it, if it works?

**Wesleypipesyo** · 11-19-2018, 07:29

Originally Posted by Phantom Grappler

Wesleypipesyo, can you try ridgeline inside pod—and decide wether to keep it, if it works?

That's my goal this weekend. Once I get to the camp site, if I can find it, I will crack open a frosty beverage, light a cigar (for big control purposes, of course), and give that the ole college try. Granted I did drop out of community college about 20 years ago. I think in my situation it will work. The hammock is the same length at the pea pod. That should keep the openings in the pea pod from being stretched out too much.

**BillyBob58** · 11-19-2018, 09:05

I have no experience wit this brand of pods. The Speer Pod was just designed to open a vent anywhere, or multiple places, along the top. So I could open on either a very small vent or as wide as needed above my face. That is all I ever did. Obviously if opened wide enough it did not hang down on my face. I can not remember for sure if it touched my face when I had a very small vent, so I guess if it did it did not bother me. One of the drawbacks with that design was that - depending on hammock width/depth, the top pod layer tended to be lifted up off of my body, by the side edges of the hammock, creating a gap that reduced warmth unless filled with puffy clothing or quilt, which then made it warmer than rated. I assume it was also lifted to some degree above my face, but I am not sure. It may have touched slightly at face level especially if I was closer to the head end. Probably did because I always thought it was almost the equal of a cinched down to small breathing hole on a hooded mummy bag, providing plenty of head protection without a separate hood or hat needed. I guess it just did not bother me.

Edit: also, if it did really bother me, it was roomy enough that I could actually have my head outside the pod with the Velcro closed around my neck, using separate hat or hood. More or less like in this picture, where I look like I have been decapitated. Can you do this?

In this picture, as I am laying on my side, it is clearly touching my face, but I have my head positioned as far as possible to the side and against the pod on purpose, something I do when it is really cold so my breath tends to get outside the pod before it condenses, mostly falling to the ground. I actually would get almost prone, so that my face was slightly facing down. That way no cold air entered and my breath was more prone to condense in the air, rather than on the pod. Seemed to work, and it was comfy in that Claytor hammock.

**Wesleypipesyo** · 11-19-2018, 09:46

Mine is zippered up. I can open a spot big enough for my face. Much like your picture. I don't recall feeling cold spots on the sides of the pea pod where it gapped away from my body.

**corinkayaker** · 07-16-2021, 01:06

I have a speer Pea Pod and it is amazing. best system I have ever used and I have loved it from day one. I bought it second hand 9 years ago. I would love a new one but I have missed the boat I gather. Sleeping diagonal is no issue, ventilation is brilliant and easy to adjust wherever you want it, I use it summer and winter, just in summer I open it more.
Such a great product if anyone knows where to get something similar I would love to hear it.

**MikeG77** · 07-16-2021, 10:30

On Amazon type in Hyke & Byke. They have a similar one. Whether it meets your needs is another matter. My son has one and really likes it. He uses his on a ENO doublenest.

**Cali** · 03-10-2023, 22:05

I have the regular and the polar pod. I love them. I used it in 13°.
Billy Bob, you posted years ago about the Grand Trunk ultra lite worked great with the peapod. I did try it, but don't remember how it fit.
I have the Switch back hammock and an old Ed Dpeer snugpak system and the peapod works great with them. I do prefer the polar pod due to the extra baffle and slightly more room for the diagonal lay.
I will never part with my peapods. I bet one of the cottage vendors would make one if they had an example. UG guilts may do it.

**TominMN** · 03-11-2023, 07:30

Originally Posted by Cali

...

I will never part with my peapods. I bet one of the cottage vendors would make one if they had an example. UG quilts may do it.

This thread goes back a few years. I've never had a Peapod but it seems that those who have them are diehard fans. So, it makes me wonder why one of the vendors hasn't been interested in stepping up(?) Maybe if a quality product like this were to be made available again it would catch on. Obviously, several of the vendors have the necessary know-how to do this. JRB comes to mind, for one...